wanted: male to female connection

[bobg]

I am looking a male to female connection: i.e. a plug and a socket, to which I can wire up a loose connection between my radio and its power source so the radio can be taken off the boat. Something about the size of the plug that charges up a battery razor. I need to be able to open up both connectors to fit to the twin power cables. I can find nothing in the chandlery books. I have looked and the mighty CPC electrical website who have a million electrical connections, but nothing as simple as this. Anyone know of a source of such a simple connector?

 

[Evadne]

Why not use sleeved "bullet" crimps, one for each wire, as you woild find on such a connection in a car?

 

[Guest]

Maplins ....

Local Radio Control Model shop .......

Caravan Shop ......

 

[Superflid]

For something similar, I used a standard DC jack plug and stuck a flush-mounted socket in where I needed it.

 

[Steve Clayton]

http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=1317&criteria=hard%20drive%20plug&doy=10m4

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Click image for Maplin link. These are rated at 25A so should be fine as your radio will use approx 6A at 25W transmit power.

Hope this helps.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

No offence Steve, but I think they may be a little light for a 25W (6A current draw during Hi Power Tx) transmitter.

 

[snowleopard]

Saw the title of this thread and thought I'd wandered into the Lounge /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

One possibility is the old-style 2A 3-pin plug which are still available from electrical wholesalers. You don't need the earth pin but it allows you to ensure the correct polarity.

 

[BlueChip]

I use these screw connectors extensively on Blue Chip. The 4 way connectors have decent sized solder bucket terminals so they are easy to solder and they can be bulkhead mounted. I have several at the chart table and cockpit instrument pod daisy chained on my seatalk/nmea network. I can plug in my PC or Yeoman plotter wherever its needed. Whatever they are made of its proved to be corrosion resistant.

 

[andy_wilson]

Don\'t forget....

... it needs to be polarity keyed.

I'm in the process of converting several connections like yours over to plug and socket arrangements.

I've standardised on a three pin fitting in chromed brass with a screw down collar. This means I can run a variety of portable devices from various locations above and below decks.

The fittings are waterproof when either connected or fitted with a cap. On a boat, they really need to have a positive lock - together.

Totally as an aside, I have a deck socket arranged with one positive switched and fused, and the other direct to battery. It supplies 12V when live, and feeds the battery from the solar panel when this (with it's wires arranged accordingly) is connected.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Going to get warm if he transmits for an appreciable time. Rated at 5A.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Remember if using sleeved bullets to miss-match them, so the radio side will have one bullet and one socket, the boat side the same. This way you cannot plug them in back to front.

I should charge for this stuff! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[LadyInBed]

That's 5A at 50Vac - rms or P to P
which ever it is over 100watts

Is it per pin or per plug?

I use them with pins paralleled and have found them to be mechanically and electrically rugged.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

Yes you are correct, either way it looks a little fine to start trying to solder VHF power cables into those buckets.

Sorry to misrepresent.

 

[LadyInBed]

You don't solder direct to buckets.
Make up two solid copper U links and solder the wire to the bridge of the link.

 

[ShipsWoofy]

I am confused, he asked for a two pin plug and socket for easy removal of his vhf from the boat.

I have sent a link to a cheap and entirely adequate in-line directional socket such it can not be connected back to front. It is neat and tidy with long pins to prevent poor joints and a lock to stop it opening through vibration. Some might say perfect for the job.

Are you trying to say that a 30 pin connector that will need modifying is the way to go?

So far the guy has had a few suggestions that are literally not up to the job, the VHF power draw is often overlooked and a few of the well intentioned suggestions he has been given will melt when he presses the PTT. I am taking a stand because as in real life people just pick up something simple like an electrical connector because it looks 'just right for the job'. Bad advice with respect to his VHF is not something I can stand back and let go.

The one thing you do not want from your 'primary' safety calling equipment is for it to cause a secondary fire or fail half way through the call. If you think about it, the longest call you ever make is a mayday, otherwise people generally talk in short bursts, excepting fishermen late at night. So in general day to day you could probably get away with selotaping the wires together, but the day you sustain transmission, fizz crackle ....

 

[Graham_Wright]

I use these in the house (legally, in accordance with IEE regs) for remotely switched 240v table lamp connection. Should be interesting plugging the radio in there!

Impossible of course????

 

[Andrew_Fanner]

The Maplins connectors will be ideal. Why didn't I think of them to solve the same problem? I x Numpty Award to me. They are used by the R/C car racing fraternity as battery connectors, where you use all of a 5000mAh battery in about 3 minutes. They are used by the airsoft community in line with 30A fuses and both are a darned sight more than your radio will use even if you plan to TX Radio 1 on 25W in a Caroline sort of way

The picture is about 1:1 in size to give an idea of the cable size:- probably the same size as your radio's power leads. In line crimps and Robert is your mother's brother.

 

[PCUK]

Re: Don\'t forget....

Standard 13 amp plug and socket?

 

[Guest]

Mr Andrew Fanner ..... you are a star !

EXACTLY ...... and I agree with Dogwatch ...

The guy wants a simple, suitable two pin connector. He does not want to fiddle and fart around with fancy switches / junctions / links / bridges / etc.

Maplins or a good Radio Control Model shop will supply very suitable plug and socket to do the job ...............

I have to comment - this is not the first and only thread that has led to Grade A Electrical theory and Higher !!!! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Asw Andrew says ..... the RC Car people do in fact do just that .... about a 3 - 4 minute race will reduce a NiCD 7.2V pack to near flat ... The RC guys also have fast chargers to bring them back up again inbetween races ... The Car I had and charge systems had :

a) Fan for colling the pack during fast charging.
b) Discharge button to reduce pack to lowest level before charge
c) Peak charge detection to prevent overcharge.
d) Trickle charge once peak detected.
e) Timer over-ride to switch of charge if left.

Packs would survive this abuse for considerable time ... mine in fact lasted more than a year of frequent use ...

Photo just to show that I am not kidding that I did play with RC cars !!!! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif